A Righteous Life (SNP2.6)

Anthology of Discourses 2.6

A Righteous Life

A righteous life, a spiritual life,¹

they call this the supreme treasure.

But if someone goes forth

from the lay life to homelessness

who is of scurrilous character,

a beast and a bully,

their life gets worse,

as poison grows inside them.

A mendicant who loves to quarrel,

wrapped in delusion,

doesn’t even know what’s been explained

in the Dhamma taught by the Buddha.

Harassing those who are evolved,

governed by ignorance,

they don’t know that corruption

is the path that leads to hell.

Entering the underworld,

passing from womb to womb, from darkness to darkness,

such a mendicant

falls into suffering after death.

One such as that is

like a sewer

brimful with years of filth

for it’s hard to clean one full of grime.

Mendicants, knowing that someone is like this,

attached to the domestic life,

of corrupt wishes and wicked intent,

of bad behavior and alms-resort,

then having gathered in harmony,

you should expel them.

Throw out the trash!

Get rid of the rubbish!

And sweep away the scraps—

they’re not ascetics, they just think they are.

When you’ve thrown out those of corrupt wishes,

of bad behavior and alms-resort,

dwell in communion, ever mindful,

the pure with the pure.

Then in harmony, alert,

you’ll make an end of suffering.